Common milkweed is a creeping perennial weed that is problematic in row crops and pastures. Its ability to readily reproduce via adventitious root buds enables it to persist, and full control often requires several growing seasons of management. Although it is a troublesome agricultural weed, common milkweed is ecologically important due to its use as a food source for many arthropod species. Declines in common milkweed populations in North America have been correlated with and blamed for declines in monarch butterfly populations. This review summarizes available information on the biology, ecology, and management of common milkweed, as well as its potential uses and provisioning of ecosystem services.

Weed diversity plays an important role in the functioning of agroecosystems. Moreover, a number of endangered/threatened plant species occur as weeds in arable fields and/or field boundaries. Agricultural intensification has imposed negative consequences on weed diversity in general, and the survival of the endangered/threatened plant species in particular. The objective of this review is to provide a theoretical framework for promoting cropland weed diversity through precision agriculture. A systematic review was conducted based on literature analysis, existing knowledge gaps, and current needs to identify a suitable approach for promoting cropland biodiversity while protecting crop yields. While nonchemical weed management methods and economic threshold–based approaches are touted to improve weed diversity, they are either ineffective or insufficient for this purpose; long-term economic consequences and the risk of weed adaptation are major concerns. A plant functional trait-based approach to promoting weed diversity, one that considers a plant’s ecosystem service potential and competitiveness with the crop, among other factors, has been proposed by researchers. This approach has tremendous potential for weed diversity conservation in commercial production systems, but field implementation has been limited thus far due to our inability to selectively control weeds at the individual-plant level. However, recent advancements in computer vision, machine learning, and site-specific weed management technologies may allow for the accurate elimination of unwanted plants while retaining the important ones. Here, we present a novel framework for the utilization of precision agriculture for the conservation of cropland weed diversity, including the protection of endangered/threatened plant species, while protecting crop yields. This approach is the first of its kind in which the control priority is ranked on an individual-plant basis, by integrating intrinsic weed trait values with field infestation characteristics, while management thresholds are tailored to specific goals and priorities.

Ecosystems are increasingly being represented as marketplaces that produce goods for humanity, and because of this, economic metaphors for increasing efficiency have been introduced into conservation. A powerful model for economic growth is the globalised free market, and some are implicitly deploying it to suggest changes in conservation practice. Ecological globalisation is the position that we should not control the free movement of species and rewilding occurs most efficiently through non-intervention. When species can move and interact with new ecological systems, they create novel ecosystems. These novel arrangements create experimental markets in nature’s economy, providing opportunities for the efficient production of goods for humans, also known as ecosystem services. When invasive species supersede local populations, it indicates previous biotic systems were inefficient, which is why they were replaced, and therefore, it is wrong to protect indigenous “losers” from extinction. Those who defend indigenous species are accused of being xenophobic against recent biotic migrants. This position is flawed both empirically and morally as there is a disconnect between these economic and political arguments when applied to human economies and nature’s economy.

Using an appropriation game setting, we examine individual responses to changes in a groups’ vulnerability to a probabilistic loss (L) of a public good. The probabilistic loss parameter entails losing 10, 50 or 90% of the value of the public good that is maintained through cooperation, where the likelihood of the loss decreases in total group cooperation. By design, the expected marginal net benefits to an individual and the expected harm to others depends endogenously on the individuals’ expectations of group cooperation and exogenously on the magnitude of the loss parameter. We find that individual cooperation is greater when forecasts of total group cooperation are greater and where the magnitude of the probabilistic loss is larger. There is, however, an interesting asymmetry in responses by two subgroups. Subjects who are pessimistic regarding total group cooperation decrease cooperation the higher the magnitude of the probabilistic loss and their decisions are tied systematically to changes in their expectations of other’s cooperation. On the other hand, subjects who are optimistic regarding total group cooperation are found to be more cooperative, but their decisions are not systematically tied to changes in expectations of others’ cooperation.

Established hedgerows of native plants on the borders of crop fields provide a variety of ecosystem service benefits in agricultural landscapes. However, their influence on weed communities is not well understood, and there are concerns that hedgerows could contribute to weed infestations on farms. To address this research gap, we examined the role of established hedgerows of native California plants on weed abundance (weed numbers and cover) and weed species richness in field borders, and in adjacent crops, in large-scale, monocropping systems compared with conventionally managed field borders (i.e., no hedgerows). Across 20 farm sites in California’s Central Valley, hedgerows on orchard crop borders reduced weed numbers by 66%, weed species richness by 59%, and weed cover by 74%. On annual field crop borders, hedgerows reduced weed numbers by 71%, weed species richness by 60%, and weed cover by 70%. In orchards, hedgerows also reduced weed intrusion into the adjacent crop interior, with significantly lower weed cover to the first tree row (area directly underneath the trees), weed species richness to the 10-m tree row, and weed numbers to the 10-m avenue (area between the tree rows). Yearly management practices and associated costs for weed control in established hedgerows were significantly less than for conventionally managed field borders. This study highlights the effectiveness of native hedgerows as a sustainable nature-based solution for reducing weed pressure and management inputs on farms.

The elusive southern river otter (Lontra provocax; huillín in Spanish) is critically endangered in the Argentine portion of Tierra del Fuego, and low social awareness may be one of the major threats to its conservation. Our survey of local residents’ knowledge and valuation of the huillín showed that only 14% recognized photographs of the species, almost half did not know that it is endangered and most erroneously thought it was an introduced species. Greater knowledge about the huillín was related to higher respondent education levels. Younger and more knowledgeable residents valued the species more for ecological and relational reasons; its instrumental value was considered least important. More communication should be targeted at older people and groups not directly interacting with nature via informal education methods, including combining positive messages about the huillín and other native species with ongoing outreach efforts warning about biological invasions. Understanding perceptions and valuations of biodiversity can make conservation efforts more effective and inclusive.

The EAT-Lancet Commission recommends increasing the consumption of nut trees worldwide as part of a sustainable diet. Integrating more nut tree species in urban gardening initiatives could provide members access to locally grown nuts and provide ecosystem services to urban landscapes. This study investigated the reported presence and diversity of nut tree species in urban community gardens, as well as the motivations and challenges for adopting and expanding those trees. Based on an online survey with 111 responding projects from the urban community gardening network in Germany as our case study, we found that nut tree species exist in almost half of all responding projects surveyed, albeit in a few numbers of individual trees and producing low yields. Projects are motivated by the provisioning, regulating, and cultural ecosystem services they provide, such as the nutritional value of nuts, the provision of food for animals, and the potential for education of members about agroforestry and nut use. Yet projects are hindered by limited space, local laws and regulations, and the interaction of nut trees with other species in the garden. Although only 50% of projects plan to incorporate more nut tree species in the future, most recognize the importance of nuts as part of a healthy diet. Governmental leadership is necessary to secure long-term contracts for urban gardens, so that more nut trees can be planted, and city residents can exploit the benefits of the ecosystem services they provide.

This perspective positions rewilding as a novel approach to ecosystem restoration, emphasising the restoration of natural processes to create self-willed ecosystems. Central to European rewilding is the de-domestication of cattle and horses to act as functional analogues of the extinct aurochs and wild horses. This de-extinction pathway shifts the focus from the loss of species to the loss of their ecological roles caused by human actions commencing millennia ago. The focus on restoring functional effects provides a strong policy rationale for large herbivore de-domestication, aligning with nature-based solutions to address environmental challenges. This alignment requires a pragmatic approach that prioritises the restoration of ecosystem functions over genetic purity and offers flexibility and scalability in rewilding efforts. I argue that creating a new category of ‘ecosystem engineer’ livestock is more effective than seeking wild status for these animals. As they are released into recovering ecosystems, de-domesticated large herbivores are recreating their ecological roles, ‘life-spheres’ and interactions. These processes open new avenues in both extinction discourse and ecological theory and encourage us to explore how de-extinct species can drive the recovery of European ecosystems.

Nature-based solutions are becoming increasingly recognized as effective tools for addressing various environmental problems. This study presents a novel approach to selecting optimal blue–green infrastructure (BGI) solutions tailored to the unique environmental and climatic challenges of Istanbul, Türkiye. The primary objective is to utilize a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) model for assisting in the identification of the most effective BGI solutions, considering the city’s distinct environmental conditions and vulnerabilities to climate change. Our methodology integrates comprehensive data collection, including meteorological and land use data, and employs a BBN model to analyze and weigh the complex network of factors influencing BGI suitability. Key findings reveal the model’s capacity to effectively predict BGI applicability across diverse climate scenarios, with quantitative results demonstrating a notable enhancement in decision-making processes for urban sustainability. Quantitative results from our model reveal a significant improvement in decision-making accuracy, with a predictive accuracy rate of 82% in identifying suitable BGI solutions for various urban scenarios. This enhancement is particularly notable in densely populated districts, where our model predicted a 25% greater efficiency in stormwater management and urban heat island mitigation compared to traditional planning methods. The study also acknowledges the limitations, such as data scarcity and the need for further model refinement. The results highlight the model’s potential for application in other complex urban areas, making it a valuable tool for improving urban sustainability and climate change adaptation. This study shows the importance of incorporating detailed meteorological and local climate zones data into urban planning processes and suggests that similar methodologies could be beneficial for addressing environmental challenges in diverse urban settings.

This case study uses the concept of ecosystem services and specifically payments for ecosystem services, alongside five experiences from the Westcountry Rivers Trust (WRT), which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2024, to demonstrate the need for integrated catchment management (ICM). It highlights the multifaceted benefits that ecosystems provide to human well-being, the challenges faced in managing these often-siloed services and the role of ICM in preserving and enhancing multiple ecosystem services, focusing on the water-related drivers of flooding, drought, water quality and aquatic biodiversity. Through WRT projects this case study highlights practical applications and successes in managing ecosystem services at the catchment level and what considerations are needed for future integration and delivery of multi-benefit solutions. This paper is derived in part from the interviews and workshops undertaken as part of the Atlantic Area Interreg funded Triple C project (EAPA_772/2018), as well as contributions from the Horizon funded, InnWater project (Horizon EUROPE No. 101036683 and UKRI No. 10066637) and the OFWAT-funded, mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions.

Climate change will increase average temperatures and the frequency and intensity of summertime droughts; those shifts will in turn affect forage production in grassland-based livestock farms. Farmers will accordingly likely have to implement adaptation strategies to cope with the effects of climate change. We hypothesized that farmers' resilience strategies would depend on (i) their intention to adapt to climate change, which partly results from previous climate risk exposure, (ii) how they perceive the values and disvalues of multi-species permanent grasslands (PGs), and (iii) that both of the aforementioned factors would vary according to the geographical context of each farm. We carried out 15 semi-structured interviews with dairy cattle farmers in the French Massif Central; the farms were distributed along a range of climatic and topographic conditions. We used (i) the Model of Proactive Private Adaptation to Climate Change to analyze farmers' individual process of adaptation, (ii) the Integrated Nature Futures Framework to analyze farmers' perception of multi-species PGs, and (iii) text analysis to identify the farmers' adaptation strategies. Nine of the farmers felt that they were already adapted to climate change or that they had a plan in place to implement new adaptations in the future. We observed straightforward relationships between these farmers' perception of PGs and their choice of adaptation strategy; those relationships varied, however, with the geographical context of each farm. Farmers in the northern Massif Central and southern uplands highlighted the values of PGs and considered PGs to be central to their adaption strategies. Conversely, farmers in the southern lowlands mostly referred to the disvalues of PGs; they based their adaptation strategies on temporary grasslands and forage crops. Three of the farmers believed that climate change posed a significant risk, but they foresaw little room to maneuver. Despite acknowledging the values of PGs, those individuals did not intend to use PGs to adapt to climate change. The final three farmers did not intend to adapt to climate change; their reasoning stemmed from either a mindset of fatalism or their acknowledged desire to retire soon. Extreme events such as the summertime drought of 2003 and human factors such as intergenerational transmission of farm can accordingly facilitate or inhibit climate change-related adaptation. It is accordingly important to take into account both socio-psychological and environmental factors when analyzing how grassland-based farmers transition to more climate change-resilient systems.

We estimate the economic value of birding, which is an important ecosystem service produced by bird populations in recreation areas. Our research identifies the link between values and species richness as well as the abundance of the sandhill crane (Grus canadensis), which migrates each year through our study area. Sandhill crane stopovers at state and federal wildlife areas can attract many birders. We estimate this nonmarket value using the zonal travel cost method and data from the eBird project on wildlife areas in Indiana. We compare crane counts based on eBird with those from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR). We find important differences depending on whether we use eBird or DNR counts. On average, birders are willing to pay $28 per trip to sites in the study area and less than $1 per trip to see an additional species, while the value of 1000 more cranes is either about $1 or $10 per trip depending on how abundance is measured.

This study addresses the regulatory impacts on an innovative project seeking to introduce autonomous robots into the potable water network, Pipebots. It does so through the lens of adaptive governance, principally the under-explored area of adaptive governance and formal law. Through this study, suggestions are made to improve the regulatory regime, including a separate authorisation process for novel or complex products, built-in feedback loops to encourage learning and reflection and the need for early engagement by innovators in the regulatory process. Further, the analysis exposes a wider, serious tension: How do we encourage the innovation and flexibility we need to ensure the resilience and sustainability of our systems and at the same time safeguard strict human and environmental protections? The Pipebots project is used to explore the law’s role within adaptive governance, and suggestions to improve water governance are proposed.

Iguaçu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, faces threats from proposed legislation aimed at downgrading its protection to allow reopening of the Caminho-do-Colono road, which would fragment the National Park. This study assesses the National Park’s importance in preserving native vegetation and its economic significance via payments for environmental services. We evaluated different scenarios, demonstrating how these resources are vital for certain municipalities. By comparing economic performance before and after the road’s closure, our findings reveal that, contrary to local beliefs, the closure did not negatively impact the local economy. Additionally, these legislative bills are legally infeasible and fail to offer environmental or economic benefits, favouring small interest groups over the collective good. This research highlights that the Caminho-do-Colono road is not a viable approach to municipal development. Instead, maintaining the National Park’s integrity is crucial for both ecological preservation and economic stability in the region. Our analysis underscores the broader implications of environmental conservation efforts and the necessity of rejecting projects that compromise protected areas. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the National Park’s role, emphasizing the need for sustainable development that aligns with environmental and community well-being.

In the West Asia region, the vulnerability of Ramsar Convention wetlands due to unsustainable utilization driven by water scarcity continues to grow. Here, a global surface water product generated by the European Joint Research Centre was used to assess changes in surface water in 77 wetlands listed under the Ramsar Convention over a 37-year period (1984–2021). By combining this product with a quantitative valuation model, estimates were made of the economic value of the ecosystem services provided by these wetlands, enabling the determination of the economic losses resulting from any reduction in surface water. We show that 20% (7550 km2) of permanent surface waters in Ramsar sites have disappeared or are no longer classified as permanent. Based on this, USD 106 billion of the economic value of wetlands ecosystem services have been lost. Additionally, 33% (12 100 km2) of seasonal surface waters in these wetlands have experienced a decrease in area. Iran and Iraq account for 90% of water losses, primarily in 34 wetlands (30 in Iran and 4 in Iraq). These findings underscore the urgent need for water management policies and conservation strategies in the West Asia region.

There is a relative lack of research, targeted models and tools to manage beaches in estuaries and bays (BEBs). Many estuaries and bays have been highly modified and urbanised, for example port developments and coastal revetments. This paper outlines the complications and opportunities for conserving and managing BEBs in modified estuaries. To do this, we focus on eight diverse case studies from North and South America, Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia combined with the broader global literature. Our key findings are as follows: (1) BEBs are diverse and exist under a great variety of tide and wave conditions that differentiate them from open-coast beaches; (2) BEBs often lack statutory protection and many have already been sacrificed to development; (3) BEBs lack specific management tools and are often managed using tools developed for open-coast beaches; and (4) BEBs have the potential to become important in “nature-based” management solutions. We set the future research agenda for BEBs, which should include broadening research to include greater diversity of BEBs than in the past, standardising monitoring techniques, including the development of global databases using citizen science and developing specific management tools for BEBs. We must recognise BEBs as unique coastal features and develop the required fundamental knowledge and tools to effectively manage them, so they can continue providing their unique ecosystem services.

The real estate business on sandy coasts and coastal dunes has increased dramatically over the last decades because of the growing demands for leisure activities which, consequently, have yielded important economic gains. Such ravaging exploitation results in the replacement of sandy ecosystems with tourism-oriented settlements, infrastructure, and facilities. As the sandy beaches and coastal dunes become deteriorated or eliminated, their protective role is lost, and the hydrometeorological risks to which the increasing human coastal populations are exposed grow, especially in a climate change scenario with increasing storminess. Furthermore, when possible, the expansion of the tourism industry continues searching for new, unspoiled locations, and the cycle begins again. This situation leads to the dilemma of coastal management: should we continue with the over-exploitation of sandy coasts for growing economic benefits? Or should we preserve the coasts for protection against the impact of increasing storms and sea level rise and to benefit biodiversity? Although scientific evidence demonstrates the relevance of protecting the coasts, coastal development plans continue to ignore these findings. What are the key drivers for these trends? We first looked for scientific evidence of the appraisal of the esthetic beauty of the beach and coastal dunes, as highly important drivers of urbanization and coastal environmental change. We then looked for evidence that demonstrated how coastal dunes offer storm protection Finally, we examined if the conservation of beaches and coastal dunes can be compatible with non-intrusive tourism. In summary, through the literature review and our own data, we show how different alternatives may help achieve a more sustainable coastal tourism by combining economic necessities with environmental concerns.